Differential expression of RDC1/CXCR7 in the human placenta.
BACKGROUND
Chemokine receptor expression by human trophoblast and other placental cells have important implications for understanding the regulation of placental growth, development, and their role in maternofetal HIV transmission. CXCR7, now a deorphanized G protein coupled receptor that has been recently shown to bind to the ligands ITAC and CXCL12 has been proposed to act as a co-receptor for HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV strains. The differential expression of CXCR7 in the human placenta is not yet reported.


METHODS
The expression of CXCR7 was studied in 45 different human placental tissues, of which 20 were from early placental tissues (8-10 week old) obtained from medically terminated pregnancies and 25 were placenta from normal term deliveries.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis revealed a greater expression of CXCR7 in term human placenta as compared to the early stage. This was further confirmed by real-time PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study reveals, for the first time, the differential expression of CXCR7 in early (8-10 weeks) and term human placenta. The precise role of CXCR7 in the human placenta needs to be determined. HIV vertical transmission is reported to occur mainly during the end stages of pregnancy. Our finding of increased CXCR7 expression in the term human placenta therefore warrants future studies to assess its role in the vertical transmission of HIV-1.
Tripathi
Vishwas
V
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Verma
Romsha
R
Dinda
Amit
A
Malhotra
Neena
N
Kaur
Jagdeep
J
Luthra
Kalpana
K
D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000276:immunology; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D054387:Receptors, CXCR / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
C501896:ACKR3 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D054387:Receptors, CXCR